Here we go…!

San Francisco’s John Vanderslice is as regular a presence at Schubas as an out-of-towner can be, and his borderline-quirky yet still genre-appropriate, moody songs have carved out a place amidst the venue’s votive candles and rich, wood-paneled walls. Don’t go expecting to be blown away, but I can’t think of a much better way to spend a wintry Wednesday at Schubas than with microbrew in hand and Vanderslice onstage.

MP3: John Vanderslice - White Dove

The M’s spent 2006 as one of (if not THE) most well-respected and popular indie-ish artists in Chicago, and with good reason - their disjointed Beatles pop-meets-early 90’s college rock fuzz is undeniably catchy and oddly unique in a sea of indie pop sameness. A couple of successful turns at SXSW and Lollapalooza still couldn’t raise the band’s profile too far outside of Chicago, but they remain a staple on Internet radio and the underground club circuit. Most recent LP, 2006’s Future Women (Polyvinyl), is still one of my favorite local releases of all time.

MP3: The M’s - Plan of the Man

Arts & Crafts dream-pop duo Young Galaxy is as neat and orderly a deep-space production as you’ll find…if you’re into that sort of thing. I personally wish they’d stick a bit closer to classic shoegaze, which plays upon the pair’s formidable atmospheric pop skills, but these two clearly have a deep-seeded need to bring the rock.

MP3: Young Galaxy - Lost In The Call

Unsigned Nashville group Heypenny probably fits better with The M’s than any other band on this bill, but I’m glad they were added last minute and I hope folks show up a little bit early. Their Myspace page cite influences from Wilco to Radiohead, which is an oft-claimed but seldom delivered upon spectrum. It’s the Tweedy-like, calculatedly shambling guitar solo in “Parade” that first caught me, so I’ll let that grandiose assertion stand…for now.

Check out their Myspace for tunes, as I can’t find any of the ones I want online.

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